The best press photos in the world

The winners in the World Press Photo of the year awards are unveiled

An incredible and harrowing shot of the grieving families of two children killed in an Israeli missile strike has won the World Press Photo of the year.

The annual prize was scooped by Swedish snapper Paul Hansen for newspaper Dagens Nyheter who took a picture of two-year-old Suhaib Hijazi and her three-year-old brother Muhammad.

Their father, Fouad, was also killed and their mother was put in intensive care. In the shot Fouad’s brothers carry his children to the mosque for the burial ceremony as his body is carried behind on a stretcher in Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, in November last year.

** Some of the images in the picture gallery below may not be suitable for younger readers **

The general news 2nd photograph prize was taken by Fabio Bucciarelli, Italy, for Agency France-Presse. In it a Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighter takes position during the clashes against Syrian government forces in Sulemain Halabi district in Aleppo, in October.

An all action shot taken by Sergei Ilnitsky, Russia, for European Pressphoto Agency captured 2nd price for the sports section. It shows Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt (top) in action against Peter Joppich of Germany during their Men’s Foil Individual Round 16 match for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The first prize in the sports section for an individual photograph was won by Wei Seng Chen, from Malaysia. The picture shows a jockey, his feet stepped into a harness strapped to the bulls and clutching their tails, showing relief and joy at the end of a dangerous run across rice fields. The Pacu Jawi (bull race) is a popular competition at the end of harvest season keenly contested between villages in Batu Sangkar, West Sumatra, Indonesia.